This set was created to assemble a number of personal short film projects, trailers & test footage, from 1995 to 2007, into a physical package. They are listed here, and play on each disc in chronological order, with the oldest first. The material is drawn from a wide selection of source formats, the oldest from Hi-8 & VHS-C tapes, standard VHS tapes, and latterly MiniDV tapes.

Everything is presented in the highest quality version available, copied directly from the source tapes, although the quality does vary somewhat, especially from some of the oldest edited shorts, edited on arcane analogue and early digital equipment. YouTube videos have been added for a number of entries.

The shorts were made by both myself, and my friend Will Sadler; school friends, who shared a love of film-making. Over a few years we worked in on each others little film productions, although his productions were technically superior. Our earliest 'lost' project was shot in 1994 (unfortunately missing here) featured a sequence of crude special effects tests shot in Hi-8 video in my bedroom. These included a bullet hit made from a plastic bag punctured with a scalpel blade & fishing line, a shotgun made from two pipes with a paper-mache stock, and a throat biting appliance made of painted paper and card ripped off from Zombie Flesh Eaters. Will still works in Video production today, running his own production company. From Within The Woods (55mins total, 1995 & 1998) This was the first proper short film we shot together, and our earliest footage which still exists today; a short chase sequence loosely based on The Evil Dead, with someone being chased through a forest by an entity. We basically made it up as we went along, with me as only character, and Will as the camera & sound man. We shot around twenty-four minutes of raw footage over one day, with various ideas that didn't make the final edit such as my character escaping across the river, and the monster running onto a knife I was holding & dying, and the finished film came out at just over six minutes. About two years later in 1998, we attempted a re-shoot along the same lines in the same location, but with Wills new higher quality Hi-8 camcorder and a little more experience under our belts. during the shoot Will's camera developed a fault and the shoot was abandoned towards the end of the day. We still got around nineteen minutes of raw footage and that was edited into a usable little sequence. Also included, are three differing edits of the short created by Will, along with all the raw footage shot over both shoots. Above you can watch my final edit, which includes both the '95 & '98 shoots, created digitally around 1998. Below you can see Will's original three edits of the '95 shoot, assembeled around the same time using two VCRs connected together.

The Scene (10mins, 1997) While I wasn't involved in the production of this short, I did create the artwork for the VHS cover, so it's included here. It's a short drama centered on two actors rehearsing a scene for a play. The cast & crew were made up of Will's school friends. Helen's Eighteenth (31mins, 1998) This was a thirty minute drama written, directed & shot by Will, filmed at his parents' house over a week. I was on set primarily for lighting, but was lending a hand where I could. I also designed the VHS cover. The scope was far bigger than anything I'd worked on before or since, with around fifteen people between the cast & crew on set, with more in post production. The plot revolves around an 18th birthday/house party for Helen, her awkward encounters with admirer Ian, and interactions with friends & acquaintances before and during the party. The film won two awards at the 'International Film & Video Festival 1999'; 'Best Original Script' & 'Gold Seal Award', and served as a great personal eye-opener for the complexities of larger no-budget productions. Sugar Coated Razor Blades (86mins total, 1999) This was a violent horror short, written & directed by myself, and shot by Will. The plot (such as there is one) has the lead entering the house and killing the three male occupants inside. I played the lead, with a few friends roped in to play the victims. We shot around 80 minutes of raw footage over three days at my parent's house, and the final film came out at four minutes long. It was made to showcase various gore special effects & props I'd been developing, including a pistol with silencer; modified from a toy gun, a bullet hit made from a water balloon and fishing line, a trick machete made of wood & cardboard, retracting screwdriver, and a retractable knife made up at college from painted plastic sheets. Also included here are a trailer for the short edited by my then-flatmate & friend Mark for his performing arts course, and all the raw footage we shot. Below you can watch my final edit, created back in 1999. Edited FX Shoot Footage (13mins total, 2000) This was another short-sequence special effects shoot. Shot in two sections at my then-flat, the two specific effects shots were shot on Digital8 with myself, Mark & John; my flatmates. The linking sequences were filmed separately with Will & myself on my new JVC GR-FXM15 VHS-C camcorder. The sequences include me shooting an M16 out of a window, then committing suicide; a sequence which uses CGI to augment the physical on-set effects. Being hit by Will with a personally made sugar glass beer bottle, and a quick-gag Machete killing. The eleven minutes of raw footage shot, is included on the Blu-Ray, which also features test shots with a rudimentary wooden steady-cam rig I assembled for my camera at college. Below you can watch my final edit from the raw footage shot, created back in 2000.

FX Showreel (3mins, 2000) This was my first attempt at creating a special effects showreel. In terms of getting work, it was pretty useless as I learned a few years later, as it uses heavy metal music & fancy graphics to make up for the lack of any real worth content. You can watch the showreel below.

FX Showreel (3mins, 2002) My second attempt at a showreel was less wacky, with more actual effects content, but again pretty useless. You can watch the showreel below. Freelance Sky One Idents (1min, 2001) This is broadcast footage of a number of Sky One idents on which I worked while freelance; the only footage I have of anything I worked on professionally. My contribution would have been menial, but still meant a lot to me. Bottle Glassing Test Footage (1min, 2003) This short sequence was shot at my flat-share in Ealing with the help of my old flatmate mark, filmed on Mark's Digital8 camera shortly after I joined Breakaway Effects. It's me being glassed with breakaway bottles. You can watch the edited footage we shot below.

Edited FX Shoot Footage (1min, 2003) This was shot with the help of my friend Gary, and his two friends. It's a showcase of my gore-related special effects skills at the time. The raw footage to this shoot isn't included, as it was lost due to a damaged DVD-R. You can watch the edited footage we shot below.

Friday The 13th: Jason's Blood Raw Footage (29mins total, 2007) This is footage from a friend's low-budget thirty-two minute fanfilm for which I did some special effects. Shot in Ruislip Woods, north-west London, they included a trick machete effect, and retractable wooden stakes onto which Jason could be impaled. As there was a lot of raw footage, only the day on which I worked, is featured here. As the high quality version of the final edit has been lost, I have also included a 56s rough edit of my effects sequences, which you can watch below.

FX Tests - VHS-C Raw Footage (105mins, 1999-2003) This is raw effects related test footage shot personally with my JVC GR-FXM15 VHS-C camcorder. It spans the four years; from my last months at college, jumping to effects testing during my first years at Breakaway Effects. It's latterly made up of compressed air bullet hit system development, but there are a lot of other misc effects in there too, including some quick effects make-up test shot in 1999. This entry has a sub-menu, with detailed chapter points. FX Tests - MiniDV Raw Footage (144mins, 2003-2007) This is more raw effects related test footage shot personally with my Sony TRV18E MiniDV camcorder, from 2003 up to 2007. Again much of this is made up of compressed air bullet hit system development, along with trick machete tests & early EvilDeadChainsaws tests too. Thereafter, much of my time was eaten up making chainsaws, so tests & filmmaking were put on hold. This also has a sub-menu, with chapter points. If anyone is interested in the higher quality physical Blu-Ray version, or working with me on projects in the future, please get in touch. I won't be selling this as I've used a few bits & pieces to which I don't own the copyright, but I'm sure a like-for-like trade can be worked out. If you're interested in any of my fanmade projects, you can contact me via email at , or through the Rob's Nostalgia Projects Facebook page. Check out & 'like' that Facebook page to see the latest in-progress updates to any current projects, and check out my Wants List to see if you can assist me with any future projects or upgrades.